The Bacchae EN302: European Theatre Euripides (c BC) Wrote 92 plays, of which 19 survive Often revisionist Political and religious scepticism Rarely won first prize Prosecuted (unsuccessfully) for impiety Fled Athens towards the end of his life The Bacchae First performed 405 BC (posthumously) First performed 405 BC (posthumously) Uneasy combination of tragic and comic elements Uneasy combination of tragic and comic elements Peloponnesian War: Athens under siege (until 404 BC) Peloponnesian War: Athens under siege (until 404 BC) Euripides had used drama to critique war (Women of Troy) Euripides had used drama to critique war (Women of Troy) Athens defeat in 404 BC brought the golden age of tragedy (and democracy) to an end Athens defeat in 404 BC brought the golden age of tragedy (and democracy) to an end Dionysos Dionysos birth (twice born) Zeus male womb Half human (My daughter had a son whos now a god, p. 377) Ambiguous identity: both foreign and Greek androgynous deceptive Representation of wildness, irrationality, impulse? Dionysos God of wine God of wine Wine and theatre: Wine and theatre: Tiresias says it stops grief: How else could we ease the ache of living? (p. 381) Tiresias says it stops grief: How else could we ease the ache of living? (p. 381) The thyrsos: The thyrsos: Fennel/pine/ivy Fennel/pine/ivy Symbol of fertility and abundance Symbol of fertility and abundance Images of Dionysos Dionysos worship Oreibasia (nighttime mountain dancing, drinking) Oreibasia (nighttime mountain dancing, drinking) Sparagmos (tearing apart of animal) Sparagmos (tearing apart of animal) Omophagia (eating of raw flesh) Omophagia (eating of raw flesh) Surrender of self: ekstasis (standing outside of ourselves) Surrender of self: ekstasis (standing outside of ourselves) Ill run them / wild with ecstasy! (p. 372) Ill run them / wild with ecstasy! (p. 372) Participation mystique? Participation mystique? Coined by French ethnologist Lucien Lvy-Bruhl and made famous by Jung, this term describes a state of mind in which no differentiation is made between the self and things outside the self. Coined by French ethnologist Lucien Lvy-Bruhl and made famous by Jung, this term describes a state of mind in which no differentiation is made between the self and things outside the self. Dionysos worship in The Bacchae Never seen, only described Never seen, only described By Dionysos, pp : By Dionysos, pp : barbarian joy, battle, suffer, revenge barbarian joy, battle, suffer, revenge By Chorus, pp : By Chorus, pp : sweet, joy, ecstasy sweet, joy, ecstasy By Pentheus (imagined throughout): By Pentheus (imagined throughout): lewd, lusty (p. 379 though Tiresias refutes this) lewd, lusty (p. 379 though Tiresias refutes this) By Herdsman, pp : By Herdsman, pp : so strange, so horrible, great holy cry, eerie, monstrous, miraculous, graphic violence so strange, so horrible, great holy cry, eerie, monstrous, miraculous, graphic violence sexual undercurrent? sexual undercurrent? Dionysos worship in The Bacchae The thyrsos in The Bacchae: The thyrsos in The Bacchae: armed them all with my green fennel wand in battle its an ivied spear (p. 370) armed them all with my green fennel wand in battle its an ivied spear (p. 370) Guard the violence in your green wand, / respect its holy power (p. 374) Guard the violence in your green wand, / respect its holy power (p. 374) At one point, all on stage hold it (Chorus, Tiresias, Kadmos) Pentheus is the only one without. At one point, all on stage hold it (Chorus, Tiresias, Kadmos) Pentheus is the only one without. He grabs Dionysos own thyrsos later He grabs Dionysos own thyrsos later The Apollonian and the Dionysian From Friedrich Nietzsche, The Birth of Tragedy (1872) From Friedrich Nietzsche, The Birth of Tragedy (1872) Apollonian: form, structure, control, rational thought, reason, beauty, protection from the Dionysian Apollonian: form, structure, control, rational thought, reason, beauty, protection from the Dionysian Dionysian: wildness, irrationality, intoxication, loss of self, animalism, sexuality, lust, cruelty Dionysian: wildness, irrationality, intoxication, loss of self, animalism, sexuality, lust, cruelty Nietzsche describes Euripides as a poet who fought throughout his long life against Dionysus with heroic force only to conclude his life with a glorification of his opponent Nietzsche describes Euripides as a poet who fought throughout his long life against Dionysus with heroic force only to conclude his life with a glorification of his opponent The Apollonian and the Dionysian City vs. mountain City vs. mountain Pentheus and the repressed Dionysian: Pentheus and the repressed Dionysian: Pentheus descriptions of Dionysos: the stranger with the girlish body (p. 383); Pentheus descriptions of Dionysos: the stranger with the girlish body (p. 383); cutting of Dionysos curls; cutting of Dionysos curls; Dionysos tucking back of Pentheus curls later Dionysos tucking back of Pentheus curls later Pentheus draws attention to choice between order and chaos: When I come out, Ill either be fighting, or Ill put myself in your hands. (p. 405) Pentheus draws attention to choice between order and chaos: When I come out, Ill either be fighting, or Ill put myself in your hands. (p. 405) Chorus: A reckless mouth and a mad / defiant mind / ruin a man / but restraint and good sense / protect him (p. 384) Chorus: A reckless mouth and a mad / defiant mind / ruin a man / but restraint and good sense / protect him (p. 384) Tiresias shows appropriate balance of Apollonian and Dionysian? He is Apollos prophet, but worships Dionysos equally Tiresias shows appropriate balance of Apollonian and Dionysian? He is Apollos prophet, but worships Dionysos equally The Bacchae and the feminine Bacchae as representatives of unrestrained femininity (compare Furies/Clytemnestra)? Bacchae as representatives of unrestrained femininity (compare Furies/Clytemnestra)? Only women induced to madness in the play Only women induced to madness in the play We are humiliated / when we let women act like this (p ) We are humiliated / when we let women act like this (p ) Think about all-male audience Think about all-male audience Music and the Dionysian Music is the most Dionysian of the arts, according to Nietzsche Music is the most Dionysian of the arts, according to Nietzsche Choral odes Choral odes Chorus equate dancing with music, wine and joy / ekstasis Chorus equate dancing with music, wine and joy / ekstasis Ritual element to repetition Ritual element to repetition Suggestion that chorus are drumming (p. 391) Suggestion that chorus are drumming (p. 391) National Theatre of Scotland production:National Theatre of Scotland production: Dionysos and the theatre Theatre of Dionysos Theatre of Dionysos Tiresias on Dionysos: his future power throughout Greece will be vast (p. 381) Tiresias on Dionysos: his future power throughout Greece will be vast (p. 381) Chorus as Dionysos-worshippers, calling audience to join in: Chorus as Dionysos-worshippers, calling audience to join in: they bless those who give body and soul to Bacchus (p. 373) they bless those who give body and soul to Bacchus (p. 373) they condemn Pentheus they condemn Pentheus Voice of Dionysos calling (probably singing) from within stage building: Voice of Dionysos calling (probably singing) from within stage building: Supernatural frisson? Supernatural frisson? Literal invocation? Literal invocation? Special effects? Special effects? Acting as ritual / transubstantiation Acting as ritual / transubstantiation Communitas From the work of anthropologist Victor Turner ( ) From the work of anthropologist Victor Turner ( ) Intense feelings of solidarity and togetherness amongst members of a group of people: a direct, immediate and total confrontation of human identities (1969: 132) Intense feelings of solidarity and togetherness amongst members of a group of people: a direct, immediate and total confrontation of human identities (1969: 132) Spontaneous communitas has something magical about it. Subjectively there is in it the feeling of endless power. It is almost everywhere held to be sacred or holy, possibly because it transgresses or dissolves the norms that govern structured and institutionalised relationships and is accompanied by experiences of unprecedented potency. (1969: ) Spontaneous communitas has something magical about it. Subjectively there is in it the feeling of endless power. It is almost everywhere held to be sacred or holy, possibly because it transgresses or dissolves the norms that govern structured and institutionalised relationships and is accompanied by experiences of unprecedented potency. (1969: ) Turner, V. W. (1969) The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure, New York: Aldine. Communitas, ritual and performance Three phases in a rite of passage: separation, transition (limen), and incorporation (reaggregation) Three phases in a rite of passage: separation, transition (limen), and incorporation (reaggregation) In liminality, argues Turner, people play with the elements of the familiar and defamiliarise them (1982: 27), and where it is socially positive, In liminality, argues Turner, people play with the elements of the familiar and defamiliarise them (1982: 27), and where it is socially positive, it presents, directly or by implication, a model of human society as a homogenous, unstructured communitas, whose boundaries are ideally coterminous with those of the human species. When even two people believe they experience unity, all people are felt by those two, even if only for a flash, to be one. (1982: 47) it presents, directly or by implication, a model of human society as a homogenous, unstructured communitas, whose boundaries are ideally coterminous with those of the human species. When even two people believe they experience unity, all people are felt by those two, even if only for a flash, to be one. (1982: 47) Turner, V. W. (1982) From Ritual to Theatre: The Human Seriousness of Play, New York: PAJ. Ritual and performance Dir. Richard Schechner, Dionysus in 69: Dir. Richard Schechner, Dionysus in 69:(Clip played in lecture begins around 14 minutes in) (Clip played in lecture begins around 14 minutes in) A sceptical undercurrent? Dangers of loss of self / ekstasis? Dangers of loss of self / ekstasis? Second messenger describes One hand / made of thousands contributing to Pentheus death (p. 416); Second messenger describes One hand / made of thousands contributing to Pentheus death (p. 416); Agave is empty and senseless, totally possessed by Bakkhos (p. 417) Agave is empty and senseless, totally possessed by Bakkhos (p. 417) Cynical presentation of worship? Cynical presentation of worship? Tiresias (in Bacchic garb): You wont hear me asking which gods exist / or cross-examining their actions. The wisest man living, though he brings / to bear his keenest logic, / will never break their grip on our lives. (p. 378) Tiresias (in Bacchic garb): You wont hear me asking which gods exist / or cross-examining their actions. The wisest man living, though he brings / to bear his keenest logic, / will never break their grip on our lives. (p. 378) Kadmoss advice to Pentheus to lie: Suppose its true / that Bakkhos is no real god / proclaim him one. Its a fine distinguished lie! (p. 382) Kadmoss advice to Pentheus to lie: Suppose its true / that Bakkhos is no real god / proclaim him one. Its a fine distinguished lie! (p. 382) Messenger: The best wisdom is knowing what the gods want (p. 418) how easy is this? Messenger: The best wisdom is knowing what the gods want (p. 418) how easy is this? Audiences sympathies? Is the chorus viewpoint a model for ours? Is the chorus viewpoint a model for ours? Do we approve of their bloodlust? Do we approve of their bloodlust? Do we share their rejoicing in the revelation of Pentheus death? Do we share their rejoicing in the revelation of Pentheus death? Appearance of Agave late in the play: Appearance of Agave late in the play: Chorus express pity for her (poor woman, p. 420) and for Kadmos (p. 427) Chorus express pity for her (poor woman, p. 420) and for Kadmos (p. 427) Pentheus hamartia, Agaves anagnorisis? Pentheus hamartia, Agaves anagnorisis? Agave ends by rejecting Dionysos Agave ends by rejecting Dionysos Dionysos: a capricious god? Chorus presentation of Dionysos as peace-loving: a god who makes men rich / and saves the young mens lives (p. 386). Chorus presentation of Dionysos as peace-loving: a god who makes men rich / and saves the young mens lives (p. 386). He says hes there to teach: this town must learn to perfection / all my mysteries have to teach (p. 371) He says hes there to teach: this town must learn to perfection / all my mysteries have to teach (p. 371) Does Dionysos manipulate Pentheus into committing blasphemy? Does Dionysos manipulate Pentheus into committing blasphemy? Dionysos evident enjoyment of irony: Dionysos evident enjoyment of irony: it could be your face to which the blood will come it could be your face to which the blood will come Youll make me go all to pieces! Id have it no other way (p. 410) Youll make me go all to pieces! Id have it no other way (p. 410) Smiling mask throughout play Smiling mask throughout play Cruel? Cruel? Terrifying? Terrifying? Unknowable? Unknowable? Kadmos recognises Dionysos: You are / Vengeance without feeling or limit (p. 429). Kadmos recognises Dionysos: You are / Vengeance without feeling or limit (p. 429).